I'm currently reading a book about sales called 'Predictable Revenue'. It is an excellent book.

However, one of the chapters is entitled 'My Favourite Sales Call Question Of All Time'. He describes opening questions such as 'how are you doing today?' as irritating and meaningless. I agree.

Instead, he believes the best opener is: 'Did I catch you at a bad time?'. Again, I agree it is a good question as it demonstrates respect for the person you are calling, and implies you are aware they are busy people too. It is likely to make the recipient of the call less defensive and more receptive to continuing the conversation.

Where the author and I disagree is his insistence that the question should be 'Did I catch you at a bad time?' rather than 'Did I catch you at a good time?'. The author says it is never a good time for busy people. I disagree.

I believe both terms can be used but they are best used when they are selected intelligently based on the information you have. If the person taking the call answers their phone in a cheery fashion, mirror the mood and ask if it is a good time to talk. If the person appears to snatch up the receiver, answers abruptly and quickly there is a good chance they could be stressed, in a hurry or just in a bad mood. In this instance I would suggest the 'bad time' question is more appropriate.

Experiment and see what works best, but always treat people you are calling with courtesy and respect. If you forget those basics, no matter what your opening question is, I can guarantee the call won't last long.

Kind regards,

Jim.

Salespeople come in all shapes, sizes from many different backgrounds. They are all individuals, and hence are motivated by different things. There is no 'one size fits all' template for a commission or bonus structure. What one person sees as an 'unrealistic' basic salary, others will see as generous.

However, if you have gone to the trouble and expense or hiring a sales professional, you will need to consider the following to try and get the best out of your new recruit:

1. Set SMART objectives. SMART stands for:
Specific - are targets well defined?
Measurable - is achievement or failure easy to recognise and demonstrate?
Achievable - do you have buy-in from the salesperson who will 'own' these targets?
Realistic - considering knowledge, resources, time and conditions, can this be done?
Time-bound - has enough time been allowed to achieve the goal?

2. Find a reward scheme that works for the company (is it fair, affordable and maintainable?), and the individual (is it fair, easy to understand and motivates the salesperson?). Get to know your sales person or sales team and find out what makes them tick. There may be some constraints in terms of company policy and perceived 'fairness' among all members of the team, but tailoring remuneration to personalities can have great results.

3. Manage them. Acknowledge and praise progress, question under delivery and take appropriate action. Don't procrastinate. Given a reasonable degree of experience, your heart and your head will tell you if shortcomings can be addressed with management or training, or if you are fighting a losing battle. When you have made up your mind, act on it.

4. Take time to analyse what has worked and what hasn't. Make changes (major and minor) to the way you manage, sales process, remuneration schemes, environment and conditions. Set your own KPOs (Key Performance Objectives) and monitor your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and use them to help you drive constant improvement in your sales department.

Happy selling and managing!

Kind regards,

Jim.

If you look under 'selling' on wikipedia you get a mass of information, opinion and discussion which is all very healthy.
However, for me, the definition of the art or science (depending on your viewpoint) of selling is very simple: "Selling is the act of helping people to buy without regret".

We have all heard horror stories about pressure sales tactics and misleading sales literature and conversations being used to close sales, but that really isn't selling. It is just lying to achieve a temporary objective. It reflects badly on the salesperson, the company and the brand. In these days of social media the individual buyer as well as the business buyer are empowered to cry 'foul' and seriously damage anyone involved in unethical sales practice.

It is therefore, much simpler to just treat potential buyers as you would wish to be treated. Be a person first and a salesperson second. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Define and fully understand the customers wants and needs. If you have a solution to their problem, present it to them in a clear and concise manner. Let them ask questions so they can fully grasp what you are proposing. Be honest and transparent. Agree next steps.

It's not hard to be a good salesperson.... just be a good, normal person.

Kind regards,

Jim.